Theatre Group Bombay

The Theatre Group firmly believes that if the English Speaking theatre in our country is to grow, Indian Playwrights must be encouraged.

Playwrights who write in English, but speak with an Indian Voice.

To provide a voice of today for the audiences of today to identify with.

Bobby Padamsee, known as 'Sultan' to his friends and peers started the Theatre Group movement to create a platform from which audiences could share an Indian perspective of the Human Experience.

He was passionate about bringing truth and idealism and real life stories to audiences in the country.

Sadly the Sultan passed away in 1946 at the tender age of 26. A short life, but long enough to inspire a passionate group of theatre people to give breath to the vision.

In his memory the Theatre Group of Bombay has instituted the Sultan Padamsee Award for Playwriting.

Submissions are accepted of original plays written in the English Language by playwrights of Indian Origin.

The Plays are then read and judged by a board of eminent theatre personalities, who first shortlist and then select the three plays that are to be awarded. The three awarded playwrights receive a certificate and a cash incentive. If and when possible, the Theatre Group extends support to have the winning plays staged.

Gurcharan Das‘s Larins Saheb, Geive Patel’s Princes, Dina Mehta’s The Myth Maker, Cyrus Mistry’s Doongaji House, Ram Ganesh Kamatham’s Ultimate Kurukshetra, Vinnet Bhalla’s A Farming Story, Ramneek Singh’s Parvati’s Dark Children, Satinder Chohan’s Lotus Beauty and Faezeh Jalali’s Shikhandi – The Story of the Inbetweens have been among the prominent winners of this award.

The Sultan Padamsee Awards for Playwriting are given every two years to the most deserving plays.